This invention is generally directed to an automated pharmaceutical packaging machine. There are currently a wide variety of automated pharmaceutical packaging machines available. The majority of these machines are designed for packaging a single pharmaceutical product into pharmaceutical packages. These machines are typically used in connection with pharmaceutical packages which include a plurality of cavities each designed to house a single pharmaceutical dose. The cavities are filled by inserting a pharmaceutical dose into each cavity and then adhesively applying a backing to the sheet of cavities to seal the solid pharmaceuticals within the cavities. These automated machines satisfy the majority of solid pharmaceutical packaging requirements where a single type of product is inserted into the package cavities. However, especially in managed-care facilities, there's a significant need for an automated pharmaceutical packaging machine which is capable of selectively depositing one or more pharmaceuticals into each of the individual cavities in a pharmaceutical product package.
Managed-care facilities now use patient specific packaging that provides all of the patients prescription drug needs for a given period of time. Existing packaging solutions typically employ solid pharmaceutical product package cards that contain all the given patient's dosages for a one-week period of time. Each dose of one or more pharmaceuticals is stored in a clear plastic cavity. Thus, for a given dosage time, a patient's required medication typically may require as many as three to four different clear plastic cavities. As a result, it is necessary that the managed-care facility go through more time-consuming process in order to assemble the patient's doses of solid pharmaceuticals for given period of time.
Applicant has invented an automated system and method for selectively filling a plurality of different dosing cavities with a plurality of different solid pharmaceutical medications for a single patient. Applicant's system is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/539,834. In general, the method provides for the filling of a product package have a plurality of cavities arranged in an array. A number of canisters, each containing a different type of drug, are positioned above the package cavities. The canisters are typically arranged in an array. The canisters dispense solid pharmaceuticals through a feed mechanism into the cavities as the cavities are selectively positioned beneath the feed mechanism. The system relies on gravitational forces to carry the pharmaceuticals through the feed mechanism. Generally a large number of different types of pharmaceuticals are needed to meet patient requirements. Therefore, the array of canisters is large and a large feed mechanism is needed to receive the pharmaceuticals from the entire array of canisters. To utilize the gravitational forces often a relatively large distance is provided between the canisters and the cavities to be filled. Given the distance the pharmaceutical travels in order to reach the cavity, often the pharmaceutical is traveling fast enough to cause the pharmaceutical to bounce when it hits the cavity. Sometimes the pharmaceutical bounces out of the intended cavity resulting in erroneous dosing.
The present invention provides an automated solid pharmaceutical packaging machine which overcomes the problems presented by previous packaging machines and which provides additional advantages over the prior art, such advantages will become clear upon a reading of the attached specification in combination with a study of the drawings.